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Good morning,

This is the Texas Minute for Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

UPFRONT: I made a mistake in yesterday's "History" section; the last concert of Buddy Holly, J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, and Richie Valens took place in Clear Lake, Iowa. I apologize for the confusion.

Paxton Signs Immigration Enforcement Agreement With Trump Administration

• Attorney General Ken Paxton has become the first Texas law enforcement official to sign an agreement with the Trump administration in carrying out mass deportation efforts. Will Biagini has the details.
      
• Paxton’s agreement with the administration follows a January 29 executive order by Gov. Greg Abbott. In that order, Abbott instructed “all appropriate state agencies to assist federal actors working under the direction of the Trump Administration with carrying out functions under federal immigration laws.”
      
• This weekend, Abbott announced he had signed a memorandum of understanding between U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the State of Texas to grant Texas National Guard personnel the authority to make immigration arrests.
      
• "As the top law enforcement official in Texas, I call on all agencies and departments to join me in the fight. We will enforce the law and protect America." – Ken Paxton

Dallas Anti-ICE Protestors Threaten Conservative News Personality

• As protests against immigration enforcement erupt across Texas, anti-enforcement protestors threatened to run over conservative news personality Sara Gonzales.
       
• The threats occurred during a protest in Dallas, where some 2,000 pro-illegal immigration advocates showed up at the Dallas City Hall Plaza. Gonzales, who reported live on the scene at the event, was surrounded and threatened by protestors.
       
• One of many can be heard and seen saying, "Someone just run her over."
      
• Afterward, Gonzales received comments on social media from individuals threatening physical violence and even rape.
       
• "The entitlement of these illegal aliens and anti-ICE protesters knows no bounds. I was physically harassed by multiple attendees, some of whom BRAGGED about being in this country illegally, while Dallas PD did nothing." – Sara Gonzales

Texas Decertifies ES&S E-Pollbooks After Election Day Failures

• After problems emerged in Dallas County related to early voting, Ian Camacho reports that the Texas Secretary of State has decertified the Election Systems & Software electronic pollbooks for use in the state's elections.
       
• The e-pollbook systems are used to check in registered voters who show up at the polls to cast their ballots. According to the decertification letter, the ES&S e-pollbook system failed seven technical and three functional standards.
      
• With municipal elections only three months away, affected counties must either replace the decertified systems with another vendor’s system or wait for an ES&S update, which the SOS must first approve. Counties would also need to train election workers, creating a tight deadline. 
        
• Dallas County is currently in the process of switching to a new vendor for e-pollbooks.

Harrison Legislation Would End DEI-Influenced Courses in Public Universities

• New legislation would prohibit leftwing "indoctrination" programs in courses and activities of Texas' colleges and universities. Valerie Muñoz has the story.
      
• State Rep. Brian Harrison (R-Midlothian) would close loopholes in a 2023 law that blocked "diversity, equity, and inclusion" programs in institutions' operations. His new measure aims to stop DEI-influenced academic courses, research, activities, guest speeches, data collection, and student admissions.
      
• His legislation aligns with Trump’s executive order to end federal DEI programs and follows Gov. Abbott’s own order, which prohibits DEI-related public university curricula, statements, programs, policies, practices, expenditures, and employee conduct.
      
• "Public universities are for education, not leftist indoctrination," said Harrison. "It is outrageous that they have been abusing tax dollars to promote DEI, liberal gender ideology, and LGBTQ programs against the will of Texas voters."

Wrestling Coach Charged With Sex Crimes Against Students

• An award-winning wrestling coach in Amarillo Independent School District has been arrested and charged with sex crimes involving a student. As Erin Anderson reports, Amarillo ISD allowed the man to resign when the allegations arose.
      
• State records show Nicholas Jade Herrmann, 31, is certified as a special education teacher. According to local media reports, the alleged sexual encounters between the coach and student took place in Herrmann’s home.
      
• Last year, Herrmann was named the 5A Assistant Coach of the Year by the Texas High School Wrestling Coaches Association.

Quote-Unquote

"Remember the first rule of gunfighting... 'have a gun.'" – Jeff Cooper​

Y'All Answered

On Saturday, President Donald Trump announced tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada, and China that would take effect today. He specifically cited those countries' unwillingness to address the flow of illegal aliens and narcotics into the United States. (By yesterday afternoon, though, Canada and Mexico both agreed to take steps to appease U.S. interests—thereby putting the tariffs on a 30-day pause.)

We asked readers if they agreed with President Trump's use of tariffs to drive international policy. More than 92 percent of readers support the president's actions, while 7.8 percent do not.

Here is a sampling of the replies we received from folks who participated in the survey...

• “The tariffs are based on the fact that they need us more than we need them.” – Glenda Piacenti
      

• “I’m not sure of their long-term efficacy, but they seem to be a reasonable tool in the short term.” – Jeff Houghton
      

• “Let Canada and Mexico threaten action! They have much more to lose than the United States does. At any rate, we should be buying American every chance we get.” – Julie Chisholm
      

• “Both of these neighboring governments have become fatally corrupted, and the tariffs are the ‘Big Stick’ President Trump has to persuade them back into compliance.” – Thomas Bazan
      

• “I have yet to find anything with the label ‘Made in Canada.’” – Jessica Ward
      

• “There must be another way besides tariffs.” – Gala Partlow
      

• “The cost of tariffs will ALWAYS be passed along and eventually paid by the consumer. It is just another tax on the people, and we have plenty of those already.” – James Stith
      

• “I disagree with tariffs.  They affect us more than you know.” – Gi Gypsy
      

• “Why not have those countries participating in illegal activities here pay for the cleanup of those activities here?” – Arthur Potter
       

• “I support the tariffs because they are strong and finally getting the attention of these countries and their leaders. We cannot keep going with the same weak policies with zero consequences and expect different results.” – Anne Pottinger
      

• “Some may say this will raise our costs of goods. I say Trump needed to remind countries that he is serious and doesn't bluff. He promised. He delivered.” – Chuck Farch
      

• “We’ve been a benefactor and ally to these countries! Time to hold them accountable to protect our shared borders!” – Rosslyn Blake
      

• “Made In America. Has a nice ring to it. No tariffs, either.” – David Bergthold

Directory of Your Current U.S. & Texas Lawmakers

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